Prayers have four answers: Yes, wait-then-yes, no, wait-then-no. In descending order of fun.

I once found it tempting to think that at least “wait” didn’t mean “no”. But I then found that…no, that’s not how it works. Sometimes he has us wait – for years – and then says no.

And that’s rough.

It’s one thing to get a “no” right off the bat. At least you can deal with it then, get past the disappointment. But years of waiting and then a no? It feels almost cruel. Hopes gotten up and then dumped.

We can dodge these unpleasant truths if we want. We can pretend that “God is too good to waste our faith”, as some preachers will insist – that long-nurtured prayers are guaranteed the answer we want. We can pretend there are no ill thoughts towards God lurking in our hearts.

But we probably wouldn’t be honest.

I’m committed to the idea that God cares about our heart’s desires. When we read stories like the twelve-year wait of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9), or the one crippled by evil for eighteen, or the man invalid for thirty-eight (that’s longer than I’ve been alive, people), you remember that God’s miraculous gifts can still come for you, even now.

But even if the answer will be eventually revealed as a no, we have a choice of how we live until then.

God’s advice to me has been, go through the “no” once.

If “no” the answer is, we have two choices: 1) live in worry and fear of the “no” and then experience it; 2) live in hope and confidence and then experience it.

The latter option seems mountains better for my long-term emotional sanity. If God must deny my requests, I’d much rather have that shattering come at the tail end of years of peace and joy. As Jesus says, worry doesn’t do squat to change the outcome, though we have a strange hang-up with thinking it somehow will.

Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:30)

I once heard a pastor say, “There is power in not worrying.” We’re generally more fruitful and competent when we’re not bound up in overthinking and trying too hard, while pressure kills everything it touches. It might just be that there’s power in listening to Jesus’ advice. What a thought!

Matthew 6:30 isn’t polite advice. It’s a command, a test of whether we believe his words, a calling to live like he did – in total trust of the Father’s character.

Dumping worry is hard. It’s so habitual, so natural. Will we accept God’s strength and grace to live as if we believe his interpretation of reality? I mean, he did create the thing.

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17 thoughts on ““Your Prayer is Awaiting Moderation””

So true. One thing God has been reminding me of lately is that even the “yes” answers are not necessarily for me, personally. We have a tendency in our culture to be self-focused, but God keeps bringing my attention back to Abraham. He believed God’s promise for descendants as numerous as the stars and for the Land, but he never saw them fulfilled in this life. When he died, he only owned the tomb he and Sarah were buried in. I think sometimes I need to remember that – sometimes the promise isn’t to me alone but to a generation or a whole group. Posterity instead of self; the Church instead of my own little person. Somehow, that concept is very freeing to me!

Very true. Just lately I’ve been reading a lot about the importance of Church Unity and Community… there are so many intangible rewards waiting there, but we need to take eyes off self and look out for each other. So now I’m going to make an effort towards unity and community, starting within the church, and perhaps it will flow outward from there.

LOL! Fortunately our prayers do not go into God’s spam folder nor are they moderated. He won’t ban you or unfriend you, either.

I used to pray for what I wanted, but at some point along the way I realized that most of the time, I didn’t even know what I really wanted. Most of my plans were actually not as good as God’s plans. I’ve gotten much better at simply receiving what He hands me and trusting that He is interceding for me. That’s an amazing thing, when you don’t even ask, but God seems to know just what you need.

Several yrs ago Daddy kind of downloaded a revelation of His goodness. That has helped me many times.
Knowing that He will complete what He began in us, (since before we were formed in the womb), has also been something I try to meditate on.
Heather’s point about others lines up with our experience as well.
We have seen miraculous stuff when we’ve prayed for others epecially in healing, yet we are still not healed and on disability.
I know His promises are yes and amen and of late i have begun to say and am starting to live as though this is the best day i have ever had.
It does work especially as i have started spending more time just learning to look at Him and find i am more in love and in awe of Him everyday.
He seems to like us weak and desperate for Him in everything. Hope some of that helps.
Blessings,
E